Captain Marvel 2 will say goodbye to the ’90s and move to present day

Plans for Captain Marvel 2 are already in motion. And that includes bringing on a new writer, a new director… and a new time period.

Later, ’90s. The ’90s are so 2019, and pretty soon, we’re going to see a Captain Marvel movie take place in the present day. While the movie is still in the early stages of development, The Hollywood Reporterhas shared new details about the movie’s production status so far.

Part of that, as mentioned, includes the new time setting. THR writes, “Details of any high-flying take were not revealed, but the new story will move the setting from the 1990s of the original movie to the present day.”

For some, this may be a given, seeing as before 1995, Carol Danvers isn’t the superhero she’s destined to become yet. And between 1995 and 2018 (around when she appears in Avengers: Endgame), one can only assume she was helping the Skrulls find a home. In between those 23 years, there’s definitely the potential to explore what Captain Marvel did to help the Skrulls — even showing us how Nick Fury came to partner up with them (as he did in Spider-Man: Far From Home).

At the same time, most of Marvel’s Phase 4 and 5 are all about exploring the MCU world post-Avengers: Endgame. We say most, only because Black Widow definitely takes place in the past, and The Eternals will likely have scenes that span way before the inception of the Avengers. With this, that means pushing the narrative and moving beyond the legacy of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Instead, heroes like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange and Black Panther will get their time in the spotlight as new leaders of the Avengers.

In addition to the news about the time period, THR revealed something equally as important that may point to what happens in the movie. A staff writer for WandaVision, Megan McDonnell, will be writing the script for Captain Marvel 2. And while the two seem different on paper, there’s one big character that connects them both: Monica Rambeau.

Audiences first saw Monica as a young girl in Captain Marvel. Her mother, Maria Rambeau, was Carol Danvers’ closest friend. And at Comic-Con last year, it was announced that actress Teyonah Parris would be playing an adult version of Monica in WandaVision.

Nothing more about Monica’s character has been revealed so far. But this could likely mean Monica will stay true to her comic book roots and become the superhero Photon, Pulsar or Spectrum. An Easter egg in Captain Marvel showed that Maria’s nickname was “Photon,” so that’s probably what Monica will go by if she becomes a full-on superhero in the MCU.

Unfortunately, Captain Marvel’s directors, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, seem unlikely to return for the sequel. Marvel Studios will be open to finding a new, female director to take on the sequel film. There’s plenty of talent available. And if all goes well, Captain Marvel 2 may be in theaters by 2022.